Disposal unit



Jan. 12, 1965 J. SENTLINGER DISPOSAL UNIT Filed June 8, 1962 -INVENTOR.'JACK L. SE/VTL/NGER, BY 5 J ATTORNEY.

mazhp United States Patent 3,165,222 DISPOSAL UNIT Jack L. Sentlinger,Huntington Park, Calih, assignor to Phillip Kudler Filed June 8, 1962,Ser. No. 202,352 1 Claim. (Cl. 22018) This invention relates to adisposal unit and more particularly to such a unit utilizing'uniquemounting means which permits ready attachment to and detachment from asupport.

Detachably mounted disposal units such as litter baskets are utilizedextensively in vehicles such as automobiles, boats, and aircraft as wellas in the home and in business establishments. It is importantespecially in mobile situations that the disposal unit be held securelyto its support, yet at the same time that it be readily removable fordisposal of the refuse contained therein. In the installation of such adisposal unit, sometimes the mounting support surface is curved as inthe case of an automobile transmission hump and sometimes it is fiat,making it desirable that the unit be adaptable for proper mounting oneither type of surface.

The device of this invention is an improvement over prior art devices inproviding mounting'means suitable for utilization on either flat orcurved surfaces by means of a latching device which allows easyattachment to and detachment from a support bracket. This end result isachieved in the device of the invention by utilizing a tongue memberwhich is attached at one end thereof to the refuse container. The tongueunit has a step formed therein spaced from the other end thereof and ajoggle formed adjacent to the step portion. This joggle mates with asimilar piece formed in a bracket which is attached to the support. Thelatching tongue can thereby be quickly attached to the bracket anddetached therefrom by a simple finger action. Three legs are utilized onthe bottom of the container adjacent to the tongue to assist in holdingthe container to the support. Two of these legs are wedged shaped toprevent the sliding of the container while the third has a concave endportion. This facilitates mounting on support surfaces which are eitherround or flat with good stability in either type of situation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improveddisposal unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a disposal unitwhich is securely held to a support in a bracket unit and yet which canreadily be detached therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dis posal unit ofeconomical construction which is suitable for mounting on either curvedor flat surfaces.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of whichV,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device ofthe invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a receiver bracket suitable forutilization with the device of the invention for mounting on curvedsurfaces, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a receiver bracket suitable forutilization in mounting the device of the invention on flat surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the device of theinvention is illustrated. Container which may be fabricated of anysuitable material such as for example, plastic or metal, has a rolledtop edge which is sloped. Rolled edge 15 is suitable for use in holdingon a cover if this is desired. The high portion of rim 15 would normallybe installed facing outwardly thus tending to cover the litter withinthe container from view. Fixed- 3,165,222 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 ICC lyattached to the bottom of container 10 is an elongated latching tongue11. Tongue 11 is fixedly attached to bottom of the container by means ofplastic lands 18 protruding from the bottom of the container which fitthrough holes formed in the tongue and which are made to retain thetongue by a heat sealing operation. Bracket portions 19 formed in thebottom of container 10 aid in holding the tongue in place.

Latching tongue 11 is fabricated of a resilient material such as, forexample, stainless steel and has an end portion 21 which is separatedfrom the bottom of the container to permit finger actuation thereof.Adjacent to end portion 21 is a step 22 which abuts against the bottomof the container. Adjacent to step 22 is formed a joggle 23.

Fixedly attached to the bottom of the container are wedge shaped legs 13and 14, such legs being symmetrically positioned near opposite edges ofthe container on opposite sides of the tongue. A third leg 16 is fixedlyattached to the bottom of the container near the end thereof, leg 16having a concave edge portion 16a. If so desired, legs 13, 14, and 16may be integrally formed with the bottom of the container.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a receiver bracket 25 suitable for mounting thecontainer on a curved support 26 is shown. Receiver bracket 25 isattached to curved support 26 which may comprise the bump in the floorof an automobile over the transmission thereof, by means of machinescrews 28. Receiver bracket 25 has a joggle 30 formed therein whichmates with joggle 23, both joggles having substantially the same lengthand width.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a receiver bracket 31 suitable for mounting ona flat support surface 35 is illustrated. Receiver bracket 31 is mountedon support surface 35 by means of screws 28. The receiver bracket has ajoggle portion 30 which has substantially the same width and length asjoggle portion 23.

As can readily be seen, tongue 11 can be attached to an associatedreceiver bracket 25 or 31 by slipping end portion 21 and step portion 22of latching tongue under joggle 30 of the bracket and bringing joggle 23of the tongue into mating engagement with joggle 30. The container 10can be removed from its support merely by depressing end portion 21 oftongue 11 and pulling the container away from the receiver bracket.

The device of the invention thus provides a simple yet highly effectivemeans for mounting a disposal unit, firm support being providedtherefore on either curved or flat surfaces.

While the device of the invention has been described and illustrated indetail it is to be clearly understood that this is intended by way ofillustration and example only, and is not to be taken by Way oflimitation, the spirit and scope of this invention being limited only bythe terms of the following claim.

I claim:

In combination, a container and a mounting device for removablyattaching said container to a support, said mounting device comprising,

a receiver bracket, the ends of said bracket being fixedly attached tosaid support, said bracket having a joggle formed therein,

an elongated latching tongue fabricated of a resilient material, one endportion of said tongue being fixedly attached to the bottom of saidcontainer, said tongue being positioned adjacent to the bottom of saidcontainer along the longitudinal axis thereof and extending over asubstantial portion of the longitudinal dimension of said containerbottom, the other end portion of said tongue being proximate to an edgeof said container bottom and separated from at the ends thereof closestto said' third leg, whereby said legs provide firm support for saidcontainer on both flat and curved surfaces.

tween said step and said one end portion, said step abutting againstsaid bottom, said joggle formed in 5 said tongue haying substantiallythe same length and Width as the width and length respectively of theReferences Cited by the=Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS joggle formed insaid bracket whereby said joggles gi l; "'1 are capable of matingengagement Wllh each other, a 2/62, Barton et a1" a pair of wedge shapedlegs fixedly attached to said 10 2 container, said legs beingsymmetrically positioned near opposite edges of said container onopposite sides of said tongue, and w a third leg fixedly attached tosaid container adjacent to the extremity of said one end portion of saidtongue, a portion of the support end of said third leg being concave,said Wedge shaped legs having apices FOREIGN PATENTS 405,186 12/33GreatBritain. 571,939 9/45 Great Britain.

15 THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner.

'EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

